The Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning meet Saturday in NHL action at the Benchmark International Arena. Here’s a Lightning vs. Hurricanes Prediction. This article will include a Lightning vs. Hurricanes pick.
Carolina Hurricanes Betting Preview
The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Penguins and lost to the Blues, and they play the Blue Jackets next. The Hurricanes have won 10 of their last 14 games.
The Carolina Hurricanes are averaging 3.46 goals per game and are scoring on 22.2 percent of their power play opportunities. Seth Jarvis leads Carolina with 28 goals, Sebastian Aho has 43 assists, and Andrei Svechnikov has 166 shots on goal. Defensively, the Carolina Hurricanes are allowing 2.88 goals per game and are killing 79.6 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Frederik Andersen has given up 83 goals on 648 shots faced, while Brandon Bussi has allowed 74 goals on 722 shots.
Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Preview
The Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Blue Jackets, beat the Red Wings, and they play the Kraken next. The Lightning have lost 6 of their last 8 games.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are averaging 3.52 goals per game and are scoring on 22.2 percent of their power-play opportunities. Nikita Kucherov leads Tampa Bay with 34 goals, Darren Raddysh has 41 assists, and Brandon Hagel has 172 shots on goal. Defensively, the Tampa Bay Lightning are allowing 2.75 goals per game and are killing 81.5 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Andrei Vasilevskiy has allowed 99 goals on 1,143 shots faced, while Jonas Johansson has given up 67 goals on 579 shots.
Why the Tampa Bay Lightning will win
- The Lightning have won each of their last 12 home games following a win.
- The Hurricanes have lost four of their last five road games against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The Hurricanes have failed to cover the puck line in 17 of their last 20 road games against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The Lightning have covered the puck line in five of their last six games against the Hurricanes.
- The Hurricanes have lost the third period in seven of their last eight games as underdogs.
Why the Carolina Hurricanes will win
- The Hurricanes have won each of their last six games against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The Lightning have lost three of their last four games as home favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Hurricanes have covered the puck line in seven of their last eight games following a home loss.
- The Lightning have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last three games as favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Hurricanes have won the first period in each of their last five games as underdogs.
Total Goals Facts
- Each of the Hurricanes’ last nine games against the Lightning following a home loss have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- Each of the Lightning’s last seven Saturday games has gone OVER the total goals line.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3’ market has hit in each of the Lightning’s last 10 games as favorites.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in each of the Hurricanes’ last nine games as underdogs against Atlantic Division opponents.
Tampa Bay Lightning Player Prop Facts
- Brayden Point has scored at least one goal in five of the Lightning’s last six games against the Hurricanes.
- Nikita Kucherov has recorded at least one assist in 13 of his last 14 home appearances against the Hurricanes.
- Nikita Kucherov ranks 1st in the league for multi-assist games (21) this season.
Carolina Hurricanes Player Prop Facts
- Jackson Blake has recorded an assist in each of the Hurricanes’ last four games against Eastern Conference opponents.
- Sebastian Aho has scored at least one goal in five of the Hurricanes’ last six games as underdogs.
- Mark Jankowski has recorded two assists against the Lightning this season—the most against any opponent.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Tampa Bay Lightning are one of only two teams in the league to rank top 5 for both goals for and goals against per game this season.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning rank 3rd in the league for goals per game this season (3.52).
- The Carolina Hurricanes rank 6th in the league for goals per game this season (3.46).
- The Carolina Hurricanes are one of six teams to rank in the top 10 for both goals scored and goals conceded per game this season.
Lightning vs. Hurricane Prediction
The Lightning are getting the slight edge from oddsmakers because they’re at home, but I have to side with the Canes and the more favorable price. These are two title contenders at their best so you can make a case for either side. The difference is the Canes probably have a higher ceiling and you don’t usually get them as an underdog. In fact, this is just the second time under the 2026 calendar where the Canes are an underdog. It’s just the third time since December. The value is with the Hurricanes at this price.